Vermont

Vermont Botanists Find a Long-Lost Friend

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2024

Vermont Botanists Find a Long-Lost Friend

Blink and you’ll miss it, in more ways than one. Not only is false mermaid-weed “absolutely tiny”—with flowers the size of a head of a pin—but it surfaces for only about a month in the spring before dying, explains Smithsonian and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department. All of which helps explain why the flower hadn’t been seen in Vermont in 108 years—until now. Last month, a state botanist inadvertently spotted the plant, formally known as Floerkea proserpinacoides, after she’d been sent a photo of a rare form of wild garlic.

“There was this little weird plant in the corner of the frame,” Grace Glynn tells Vermont Public radio. “And when I zoomed in, I immediately knew that it was Floerkea, that it was false mermaid-weed,” she says. “I couldn’t believe that I was finally seeing this plant.” Glynn went to the rural site in Addison County the following day and confirmed the patch of false mermaid-weed on private land alongside a stream. She then found another patch on public land.

“There was a lot of screaming,” Glynn tells the New York Times of her own reaction. The plant’s official status in the state has been changed from “possibly extinct and missing” to “very rare and critically imperiled,” per Smithsonian. The plant is found elsewhere in North America, per the Native Plant Trust. So why all the fuss? “False mermaid-weed is a floodplain plant, and historic populations are believed to have been destroyed by some common challenges facing Vermont’s floodplains: extreme floods, invasive species, and development,” the state post explains. That it has resurfaced after a century “is a sign that good stewardship by landowners and conservation organizations really can make a difference.” (More Vermont stories.)

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Vermont

Vermont officer, deputy cleared in August 2025 officer-involved shooting

Published

6 hours ago

January 30, 2026

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Vermont officer, deputy cleared in August 2025 officer-involved shooting

SPRINGFIELD, Vt. — A Vermont officer and deputy won’t face charges in a deadly police-involved shooting.

Investigators say Windsor County Sheriff’s Deputy Bryan Jalava and Springfield Police Officer Vincent Franchi shot James Crary outside a residence on August 21, 2025, in Springfield.

Police were at the residence to arrest another man for an assault, robbery, and kidnapping.

PAST COVERAGE: Autopsy completed following fatal officer-involved shooting

They say Crary ignored police commands and sped toward officers, leaving no escape route.

Crary was pronounced dead at the scene.

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The Attorney General’s Office says the officers’ actions were justified.

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Vermont

Senate panel won’t recommend Micheal Drescher for Vermont Supreme Court

Published

18 hours ago

January 29, 2026

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Senate panel won’t recommend Micheal Drescher for Vermont Supreme Court

Senators in the Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to back Christina Nolan’s nomination, but stopped short of supporting Drescher, who has faced criticism for representing the Trump administration in controversial immigration cases.

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Vermont

VT groups hire lawyers to help immigrants with court across the state

Published

1 day ago

January 29, 2026

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VT groups hire lawyers to help immigrants with court across the state

Beth McDermott
| Reporter assisted by AI

Vermont Legal Aid and the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project have joined forces to expand immigration legal services in the state, according to a community announcement from the two groups.

The collaboration, called the Immigration Community Lawyering Initiative, will establish an immigration law practice at Vermont Legal Aid for the first time, according to the announcement.

Two staff attorneys will be added to serve immigrant communities in central and southern Vermont.

“We’re grateful for the community’s patience as we focus on resolving complex DOC access issues and build the durable infrastructure these regions deserve,” Jill Martin Diaz, executive director at the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, said in the announcement.

The initiative will place attorneys within community organizations already serving immigrants, the goal being to build trust and any remove barriers to justice, according to the announcement.

Attorneys from the southern Vermont office will have a geographic focus. They will provide legal representation and consultations in a wide range of immigration matters, including humanitarian, family-based and employment-based cases, the announcement said. Their services will include humanitarian petitions, asylum and family reunification filings, employment authorization documents, adjustment of status, naturalization and waivers.

The attorneys will be jointly supervised by the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project and Vermont Legal Aid. One attorney will be based in Montpelier, supporting partners across the central region. The other will serve southern Vermont from the Rutland or Springfield offices.

“This historic, long-term expansion is possible because of the steadfast support of foundations, individual donors, and the Vermont Refugee Office — and we’re proud to finally bring this capacity where it’s been needed most,” said Diaz.

“We are incredibly thankful for this collaboration and for the community of supporters who made it possible,” Bessie Weiss, interim executive director at Vermont Legal Aid, said. “This partnership allows us to expand services, deepen impact, and ensure immigrant communities across Vermont have meaningful access to justice.”

This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@usatodayco.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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